Perspective from Time

The United States of France:

This is the state of our great republic: We've nationalized the financial system, taking control from Wall Street bankers we no longer trust. We're about to quasi-nationalize the Detroit auto companies via massive loans because they're a source of American pride, and too many jobs — and votes — are at stake. Our Social Security system is going broke as we head for a future where too many retirees will be supported by too few workers. How long before we have national healthcare? Put it all together, and the America that emerges is a cartoonish version of the country most despised by red-meat red-state patriots: France. Only with worse food.

Ayn Rand rolling over in grave:

"It's a complete disaster," said Yaron Brook, the executive director of the [Ayn Rand] center. "Its a form of national socialism of the financial markets...This is socialism 101."

Named after the Russian-born novelist who celebrated in her writings the risk-taking individual (and put the black hat on a snivelling, forgiving government that wouldn't let mediocre enterprises and their leaders fail), the center is a lonely beacon of small government and private enterprise in Washington at a time when big government appears to be on the comeback.

Posted by Henry Louis Gomez at September 22, 2008 12:18 AM

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